A Wrinkle in Time. And on mah face.

"Why you don't look like that in real life??"

My students were looking at my family's Christmas card picture. Granted, it was a flattering picture of all of us (isn't that the point of a Christmas card?), but I couldn't possibly look that different from a photograph taken little more than a month ago, could I??

"Maybe she got on makeup there."

"Naw she don't look so white. I mean not white like you a white person but like yo skin color look different."

I resisted the urge to get offended. Sighing an exaggerated sigh, I dropped my hands to my side. "You're probably right! I probably DO look pretty haggard right now. That picture was taken over Christmas. I hadn't been to work in two weeks. My skin is glowing, I'm smiling, I've taken the time to fix my hair, I don't have bags under my eyes...Now look what you've done to me! My hair's falling out, I'm getting wrinkles, I look tired all the time...I'm wearing TEACHER SHOES, for goodness sake!"

They laughed.

But it's kind of true. This could be the beginning of the end. If you see me in a themed sweater, please slap the shit out of me.

On a different note, meet Lamaric.

Okay, so that's not Lamaric, that's Will Smith's kid. But the cute-factor is equal and since I can't put Lamaric's real picture up, this will have to suffice. Lamaric is the tiniest 8th grader I've ever seen. What his body lacks in height, though, his eyelashes make up in length. He always wears this huge, black puff jacket, and his little tiny head sticks awkwardly out of it like a turtle.

PRECIOUS.

Lamaric would be the first person in his family to graduate high school if he does so. He is quiet, shy and mischievous and I just want to take him with me wherever I go. I guess it works out for me, because for some reason he comes to me whenever he's finished his work in any of his other classes. He always sits by me in the cafeteria and reminds me if I leave the classroom without my lunch.

Yesterday, Lamaric popped in during my planning period. "Boo!"

"Hey Lamaric! Whatcha need?"

"Um...we weren't doing anything in gym. I need to finish bubbling in my test."

I knew he was finished with his test, but I let him stay while I graded papers. When I looked up, he was picking at his pencil eraser. I put my pen down. "What's your favorite kind of book, Lamaric?"

"I don't really read very much."

Duh. If any one of my students told me they read in their spare time, I'd fall out of my chair. "That's okay. But I have a book I think you'd really like. It was my favorite book in middle school and it's called A Wrinkle in Time. It's kind of like science-fiction, and since you're so good at science, you'd love it!"

I grabbed his hand and drug him to the library. "Well, I don't see it. Guess we'll have to forget about it," Lamaric said with a grin.

"Not so fast!" I found the book and held out both copies the library had. "Which one do you want?"

"The one with the most pictures." His grin faded when he realized neither copy had pictures.

I checked the book out under his name and sat down with him. For the rest of my planning period, I read aloud the first chapter to him like he was six instead of 13. I didn't look up, but I could feel him watching me while I read. The bell rang, he put the book in his backpack and walked outside to his bus.

Today, the first thing Lamaric said to me when he walked in the room was, "I GOT TO CHAPTER THREE."

I didn't believe him. "You did!? That's great! What happened?"

"That lady Mrs. Whatsit came."

I smiled and threw my arms around him. Like I said, doesn't take much to make my day at that place.